


Be Careful What You Wish For, You'll Probably Get It

by Harriet_Lily_Potter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, All seven years, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, BAMF Harry, Bi!Harry, Bisexual Harry Potter, Canonical Character Death, Canonical relationships, Character Development, Cousins, Dark, Endgame Harry/Ginny, Family Relationships - Freeform, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fem!Harry, Female Friendship, Female Harry Potter, Fluff, Future Mild Smut, Hopeful Ending, Humor, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Lots of Lovely Side Pairings, Male-Female Friendship, Mentors, Minor Original Characters Later On, Multi, Multiple Relationships, Neither of which occur with any characters below the age of 15, Non-Canon Characters Living, Non-Canon Relationship, Non-Canonical Character Death, Not A Fix-It, Not a Mary-Sue, OOC Harry, POV Female Character, Platonic Relationships, Plot Twists, Role-Models, Sibling Bonding, Slythendor Harry, Strong Friendships, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, future PTSD, future alcoholism, hurt-comfort, starts at first year
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 15:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8166295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harriet_Lily_Potter/pseuds/Harriet_Lily_Potter
Summary: Harriet "Harry" Lily Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. She knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.But oh, does she want to. The mysterious letter on the Dursleys' doorstep was the answer to a question she never knew to ask. This wondrous new world seems to be the key to everything she's ever wanted - knowledge, power, friends, and even family. A driven Harry is determined to put the past behind her; now that she's a witch, the Dursleys will never touch her again.It isn't the Dursleys she needs to worry about.She's not quite sure when it all goes to hell, but somehow she's fourteen years old, buckling under the stress, then waking up screaming from nightmares. She's fifteen years old, jaded and tired, then driven to recklessness by desperation. She's sixteen years old, drowning her guilt in a bottle, then soaked in her cousin's blood. She's not quite sure when it finally hits her, either, but by the time she's seventeen years old and walking to her own death, she's accepted her fate.How did this happen to her?





	1. The Letter that Started it All

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Long-time reader, first-time writer, so feedback is much appreciated. I don't have a beta yet, but if anyone would be interested, please let me know in the comments/send me a message. I apologize for the short first chapter; I should hopefully update again tomorrow. Updates will generally occur 1-3 times a week. This will be a decently long fic, and span all seven years at Hogwarts. Most of the information is in the tags already. There will be romantic pairings, but there will also be a lot of focus on the friendships and familial relationships. This is both character-driven and plot-driven. The plot will remain similar to canon, but there will be some changes. Some people who died in canon will live here; some who lived in canon will die here. Harry will share traits with her male, canon counterpart, but she will not be the same; she is her own character. I will do my utmost to keep her well away from the land of Mary Sues.
> 
> She is bisexual, and will have meaningful relationships with partners of both sexes, but endgame is Ginny/Harry (oddly, since I'm usually a Drarry fan, but I wanted to write femslash). Most of the romance will be focused on Harry, but there'll be some (hopefully) fun scenes with the other tagged pairings as well. Original characters will be from Durmstrang or Beauxbaton, and first appear during the fourth year. 
> 
> There will be underage sex and drinking, neither of which will involve any characters below the age of 15 (at minimum; going to try for 16). I will tag for trigger warnings and update tags as the story progresses. This story is rated 'M' so there will be... smut, I suppose, but not explicit smut. I'll write it hot and heavy to a point, and leave the rest up to your imagination. Said smut also won't occur for quite a while, since we're starting with first year.
> 
> That about sums it up. Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my fic; I hope that you enjoy it!

“Get the mail, Dudley,” said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.

“Make Harry get it.”

“Get the mail, Harry.”

“Make Dudley get it.”

“Poke her with your Smelting stick, Dudley.”

Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon’s sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and – _a letter for Harry._

Harry’s heart hammered in her chest, and she was suddenly hard-pressed to stop her hands from shaking. No one, ever, not once in her entire life, had written to her. Who would? She had no friends, no other relatives – she didn’t own a library card, so she’d never even gotten rude notes asking for books back. Nonetheless, there it was. The unstamped envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. She read it three times, and once more to be sure.

 **Ms. H. Potter**  
**The Cupboard under the Stairs**  
**4 Privet Drive**  
**Little Whinging**  
**Surrey**

Up until then, Harry’s life had been constant, albeit miserable. She cooked. She cleaned. She got hit anyway, usually by her cousin and his friends, but occasionally by her aunt or uncle when they were felling particularly nasty. She went to school, where she tried and failed to keep her head down and her mouth shut, and she went home to the Dursleys’, where she did the same. The only breaks from the norm were the inexplicable things she caused, but even those were common enough to be greeted with no more than a brief flash of curiosity.

The letter? It was new, unexpected, exciting. It was the first thing in as long as Harry could remember that made her stop and wonder, and she stared at it like it was her salvation. Years would pass before she learned to think of it as the opposite.

“Hurry up, girl!” shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. “What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?” He chuckled at his own joke. Harry jumped. Hastily, she snatched up the letter and shoved it into her bra – just like she’d seen the women do in all those movies that Uncle Vernon liked to watch, though they were hiding money in lingerie, not mail in the cheapest Aunt Petunia could find – and darted back into the kitchen to hand him the bill and postcard. Uncle Vernon ripped open the former, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the card.

“Marge’s ill,” he informed Aunt Petunia, sounding remarkably unconcerned. “Ate a funny whelk…”

Her aunt sniffed. “I keep telling her, Vernon, you have to be careful about those places when traveling. Rats and disease-spreading vermin, everywhere you turn.” She shivered slightly.

Dudley all of a sudden whacked the table with his Smelting stick. “I’m not going to Smeltings,” he said furiously. “I’m not going to any place with a bunch of filthy rats in it!”

Uncle Vernon’s eyes bulged and Aunt Petunia gasped. Harry perked up even as she began to chew her dry toast more quickly; last time Dudley had thrown a tantrum, the table had overturned. As her uncle began to explain to his son that he was going and that was final, and her aunt desperately reassured her precious “Dinky Diddydums” that there would be no rodents at Smeltings, Harry sat back and enjoyed the show, all the while dreaming about the moment she could return to her cupboard and tear open her letter.

**~**

At precisely ten o’ three P.M., Harry double-checked that she was locked inside, triple-checked that the chatter of the TV signaled her uncle’s preoccupation, and finally huddled underneath her blanket with a flashlight to reexamine her treasure. It was slightly crumpled, now, after being hidden beneath her shirt all day. There was a purple wax seal on the back bearing a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H. The outside of the envelope revealed no other information. She took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, tried her best to squash down her rising hope, and gently tore along the flap. She pulled out the first piece of paper her fingers brushed and proceeded to read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_  
_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Potter,

          We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

            Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

          Yours sincerely,  
                 Minerva McGonagall  
                 Deputy Headmistress

The first thought that crossed her mind was that it must be a prank. The idea was crushingly disappointing – like a hard kick to the stomach – but she could easily picture Dudley and all his friends gathered around his computer, laughing. ‘Hey, let’s prank the little freak!’

And yet, the more she thought about it, the less sense it made. For one thing, neither Dudley nor his friends were particularly bright, and the letter was well-done if far-fetched. She doubted that any of them possessed the creativity nor the grammatical skills necessary to create such a thing. For another, the thick parchment and vividly colored ink couldn’t possibly have been produced by her cousin’s printer.

She thought about talking to the snake and shattering the glass. She thought about jumping behind a pair of trashcans and landing on her school’s roof. She thought about her jet-black curls growing back overnight. She thought about the jumper shrinking as her aunt tried to force it over her head. She remembered every single strange thing that had ever happened to or around her, and she felt her excitement flare back to life brighter and stronger than before, that desperate hope of being something more than a friendless orphan in a house that wasn’t a home. Could it be true? Could she really be… a witch?

Breathlessly, she reached back into the envelope. _“Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.”_

The list, as it would turn out, was even more fantastical than the letter itself – which only reaffirmed her belief that this could not possibly be the work of Dudley.

UNIFORM  
First year students will require:  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils’ clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)  
                      _by Miranda Goshawk_  
A History of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot_  
Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling_  
A Beginners’ Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch_  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore_  
Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger_  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  
                      _by Newt Scamander_  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble_

OTHER EQUIPMENT  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

Harry eased herself back against the wall, her mind scrambling to make sense of the puzzle before her. Working off the assumption that this was all real, and not some wild joke, there was obviously much more to the world than she ever knew – much more, she suspected, than any of the people around her ever knew either. There was a school of magic, and given the strange shopping list and the fact it expected her to know where to find those things, she assumed there had to be some sort of magic shops as well. For all she knew, there could even be magic neighborhoods.

Harry skimmed over both papers again. _First things first… what do I do?_ One sentence jumped out at her: “We await your owl by no later than July 31.” _Await your owl. Await my owl?_ She racked her brains for the date. It was July 25th. That meant she had less than a week to figure out what that sentence meant. After that, she would need to track down a secret magical shopping center… and she would need money to pay for supplies… Harry’s heartrate picked up and she could feel her breath quicken. She closed her eyes and pressed her knuckles to her face. _First things first,_ she told herself. _One step at a time. I can do this. I can do this._

 _Okay,_ she thought shakily as she struggled to keep herself from panicking, _the first thing I need to do is find out more information, and there’s only one sure way to do that._

_Tomorrow, I’m going wizard-hunting._


	2. When Harry Met Daphne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry loses hope, makes a friend, and begins to learn the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much to everyone who commented, bookmarked, left kudos, or even just took the time to read the beginning. I hope you all enjoy the second chapter :).

Wizard-hunting did not work out the way Harry had envisioned.

Her general idea of slipping out of the house whenever she could was ruined when Aunt Petunia announced that they were all going to London to buy Dudley’s school supplies. “Seeing as Mrs. Figg has not yet recovered from her injuries,” she said tightly, as though personally offended by the elderly woman’s broken leg, “I suppose you will be coming with us.” Her lips pressed together in a firm line.

Harry was not overly disappointed by this change of events. She had never been to London before, but from what she knew of it, this was a rare stroke of good fortune. Harry doubted there were many witches or wizards in Little Whinging. If she wanted to find a source of information, London was indeed the place to go.  She bowed her head. “Yes, Aunt Petunia,” she said politely.

The journey to London passed quickly. Harry spent the ride on the Underground thinking about magical places with strange names and was startled when they finally arrived. That was also when the difficulty arose. Harry knew that she needed to find someone who knew about magic – who could explain to her nuances such as where to shop for her books, and where this… _Hogwarts_ was located – but she wasn’t sure how to go about it. She walked a step behind the Dursleys as they weaved their way in and out of shops, and looked about eagerly, but no one had a flashing sign over their head saying ‘MAGIC.’ Harry didn’t know what a wizard looked like. She assumed they would look different from a normal person, but different how? The hours passed, the Dursleys’ shopping bags grew heavier, and the higher the afternoon sun rose, the lower Harry’s spirits sank. She might as well have been looking for a needle in a haystack.

They stopped for lunch when Dudley began to complain of his growling stomach. The restaurant was a little Italian café that also served all-day breakfast. Uncle Vernon and her cousin ordered huge plates of American-style pancakes with ice cream, Aunt Petunia picked at her smoked salmon and eggs, and Harry was even allowed to choose from the several cheapest dishes on the menu. The vegetable lasagna looked delicious, but she couldn’t really taste it, and every bite had to slide past the thick lump in her throat. Harry blinked away bitter tears. She was upset with herself for failing and angry with herself for becoming upset. The combination made her otherwise flavorful pasta chewy and bland, like cardboard.

After they finished eating, her relatives were nearly done with their errands as well. There was only one more place left to go.

“I don’t _want_ to,” Dudley whined. “I _hate_ those big, stupid books.” Privately, Harry thought that her cousin had no right to be calling _anything_ big or stupid.

Uncle Vernon chuckled. “They can make us buy them, but they can’t make you read them, eh?” he told his son. “I barely looked at those heavy old things, and look at me now.” He puffed out his chest. “Director of Grunnings.”

Dudley said something else in response, but Harry had stopped listening. Her attention had been diverted by a different establishment – not the big bookstore her relatives were entering, but the tiny, grubby-looking pub on its right. Specifically, the way the people hurrying by didn’t so much as glance at it. Their eyes slid from the bookstore on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn’t see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that no one could see it but her.

No one but her – her, _and_ the stunningly pretty girl standing across the street, who looked about the same age as Harry. The girl raised a platinum-blonde eyebrow challengingly when Harry met her gaze. ‘Well?’ she seemed to say. ‘What are you waiting for?’

Giddy with hope and fear, Harry darted to the girl’s side. “Hi,” she said breathlessly, not letting herself think of how it would sound if she was wrong, “you’re a witch, aren’t you?”

The blonde looked taken aback for all of a second before giving Harry a small smile. “Yes,” she said firmly, “and so are you. But not like me, I don’t think.” She suddenly looked worried, and a little bit scared.

Harry cocked her head. “What?” she asked, her brows knitting together. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” said the blonde and her features settled. “I’m Daphne Greengrass. It’s a pleasure to meet you, …?” Daphne stretched out her hand.

“Harriet Potter,” Harry beamed, shaking it. “But you can call me Harry.”

Harry didn’t miss the way Daphne’s blue eyes widened in shock when she heard the name, or the relief that followed, but she chose not to press the issue. She had found a witch – better yet, she had found a potential _friend._ At the moment, that was all that mattered.

**~**

It didn’t take Harry long to decide that Daphne was the best person she had ever met, even if the other witch _was_ hiding something. She was eleven, also starting Hogwarts that year, a font of useful knowledge – and she was _funny._

Daphne had led Harry into the Leaky Cauldron moments after their introduction. “My mother took my little sister to get clothes in Hap,” she informed, “but I didn’t want to go. Everything is for children there, so Mother told me I could wait for her in the pub. We are going to Diagon, next, for all of my school-things.”

Harry nodded, processing the information. _Diagon._ That must be the place to buy all of the items on her list. Whether it was a single store or entire shopping center, she didn’t know, but she knew better than to ask. Naivety never made for a good first impression.

Daphne gave her that small smile again. “Come on,” she said, linking their arms and guiding Harry towards the bar. “I’ll buy you a butterbeer.”

Harry was wary at first of the name, but the strange drinks turned out to be hot and sweet, and she didn’t think the bartender would have sold them to a couple of eleven-year-olds had they contained alcohol. She sipped on hers contently. It tasted a bit like butterscotch. “Thank you – for the drink.”

Daphne nodded slowly. “So,” she started, “exactly how much _do_ you know about the wizarding world?”

Harry shrugged and pretended to be nonchalant. “A bit of this, a bit of that,” she said. “I live with my aunt and uncle, and they’re not like us. They don’t really like magic either. I’m sure you know much more than I do, if your mum is a witch.”

The blonde was pleased at that. “Yes, we Greengrasses are all purebloods, of course,” she said. “One of the sacred twenty-eight, though that doesn’t mean as much as it used to. The Weasleys are still on the list, and they’re poor as dirt, and blood traitors besides.” Daphne glanced at Harry quickly. “Not that there’s anything _wrong_ with that,” she corrected herself. “Your mother was muggleborn, of course, and everyone says that she was exceptionally talented. I only meant that I come from a very traditional family. You know how it is.” She looked a little sheepish.

Harry had to take a minute to recollect what Daphne had just said, so preoccupied was she with the mention of her mother. “Yes, of course. Er– there is definitely… importance, to tradition. How do you know about my mum though?”

Daphne cocked her head to the side. “Everyone knows about the Potters,” she said quizzically, her brows knitting together, “and what happened on Halloween of ’81. I think that was my first history class: how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came for your family, and how you – only a baby – deflected the killing curse and defeated him.”

At that, Harry lost all pretense of knowledge and could only stare at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Daphne is a very minor character in the books, but I've seen some great fan portrayals of her, so I decided to use her as one of Harry's closest Slytherin friends. I am still planning on Harry being a Gryffindor, but she definitely has a lot of Slytherin characteristics, and that's going to show in her friendships as well as her actions. She's also obviously getting a very different introduction to the magical world than the one she got from Hagrid.
> 
> Next chapter will be up anytime before midnight on Thursday of next week. I'm going to try to make that one a little longer, too, as I know these are pretty short so far.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter: Harry stumbles across Diagon Alley - out of sheer luck, more than anything, really - makes a new friend, and does some shopping. She should be on the train by chapter three and at Hogwarts by chapter four; I'm not sure how long each year will last yet. As I said above, I'll update as frequently as I can. Thank you for reading the chapter. If you could leave me feedback, I would be very grateful :). Even if it's criticism - especially if it's criticism!


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